From the Illa Pancha Lighthouse to the As Aceas Mill on the Blue Trail

Illa Pancha is the islet with a lighthouse that marks the entrance to the Ría de Ribadeo, north of the town. From there starts the Senda Azul (Blue Trail), a signposted walk of 5.7 km that skirts the ría southwards, passes the port and ends at the As Aceas tide mill. It is easy, with no long climbs, and takes an hour and a half at a relaxed pace. There is nothing to pay or book.

The route

It starts at the lighthouse, on the rocks, with the Cantabrian Sea on one side and the mouth of the ría on the other; on clear days you can see the Asturian coast opposite. Going down towards the town you reach the fort of San Damián, the military construction that guarded the entrance, and O Cargadoiro, the iron pier where the mining railway opened in 1903 ended. That line, of more than 30 km, brought iron ore from A Pontenova; from 1927 to 1966 it also carried passengers. Today it is an ethnographic park.

You continue along the Porcillán marina and the Os Bloques beach, and the last stretch enters a wooded area up to As Aceas. That stretch, from A Vilavella, was recovered by the Provincial Coastal Service in 2013, and the Concello is replacing the eucalyptus trees in the area with native species.

How to do it

It is a linear route, so plan the return. The most comfortable is to start at the lighthouse and finish in the centre, at the port, which is about halfway, and do the As Aceas stretch only if you feel like it. If you prefer car or bike, the Ruta de los Miradores, 11.5 km and paved, links the old town with A Atalaia, the chapel of San Miguel, O Cargadoiro, Illa Pancha and the Santa Cruz viewpoint. In July and August, the Albatros V tourist train stops for a while at the lighthouse.

Comfortable shoes are enough; on the rocks by the lighthouse, take care if they are wet or there is a swell. Dogs are allowed, on a lead.

When to go

At sunset the lighthouse has the best light and fewer people. In a storm, the spectacle is at sea, but don't go near the rocks. Combine it with the boat trip on the ría, which passes the same points from the water, and finish with a few raciones beside the port, at La Solana.